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What I've Been Thinking About...
So the month of March is turning into Emilia's birthday month. After horse, pony and carousal rides on her birthday, we had a gathering for her last week at the farm and it was great. Other than the occasional tears associated with a bunch of kids between ages 1-7, everything went pretty well! One thing I always enjoy about these gatherings is observing and engaging in play with the kids. It is amazing how much fun an adult can have by acting like a child! A quick piece of advice if you are having a tough day, go outside and act like a 4 year old for a bit and it may just brighten your spirits! Prior to being a parent, I would hear psychologists discuss the importance of the early years. The example given was that a violent 4 year old will be more likely to be a violent 24 year old. I always thought that was a bit of a stretch but with more reading, talking to parents, and observing, I think it may be true. I occasionally look back at my own childhood and start to understand why and how I became who I was, who I am, and who I will become. I think things like shyness, violence, reckless care of one's body, manipulating situations, etc. are all things that are tested out by children and if not addressed, may very well be how one behaves as they grow. I remember watching Emi play with others when they were 2 or 3 and some would go by the rules, some would try to totally disrupt or destroy the game, others would cry when they wouldn't get their way, and some stood off to the side eating food and drinking seltzer water. As I watched this I wondered, is this who these kids will become as adults? Only time will tell... Fitness Tip of the Week I came across a social media post that read, "I know some folks think strength training is dangerous - but what's "dangerous" is lacking strength. Strength training builds resilience, capacity, durability, and self-efficacy." I believe this statement is 100% accurate! Building strength shows up in our every day lives. If we go for a walk, having a little more leg power will help you take on those hills. If your neighbor needs a hand moving a couch, you won't have an issue chipping in. When we get hammered with snow, a few hours of shoveling won't debilitate you. The list goes on and on but to me, the most important thing about building strength is that the more you have now, the more you'll have later. In 1961, Theodor Hettinger found that "At 65 years of age, a man's muscular strength is approximately 80% of that shown between ages twenty and thirty". In present day, I think those numbers have changed for the better. We can continue to build strength well into our thirties and forties and by doing so, create a much stronger, healthier person when we are in our 60's, 70's, 80's and beyond! Perspective is All We Have... During Emi's party, one of our guests made a comment that caught me off guard a little. If anyone has been to our house or walked by our fence, you know who Lailia and Rufus are. They are our two Jack Russell Terriers who like to let you know of their presence by continuous barking and maybe a little chasing. They do not bite and are not aggressive, they just bark... a lot. Most people think they are crazy which I typically agree with. They are a little nutty but the guy I was talking to had a different opinion. He said our dogs are pretty good and their bark is much more "normal" than his dog. I couldn't see how that was possible but then again, I don't have much experience with other dogs. This conversation got me thinking about how one's own life experience is how they might define things in the world. To the non-dog owner, our animals may seem annoying and stupid. To the owner of an aggressive dog, our dogs may seem like angels. They are the same dogs with the same behavior. The only thing that changes is the lens the person views them through. It was a good reminder in perspective! What I've Been Reading... Maps of Meaning by Jordan Peterson A few years ago I discovered Jordan Peterson in a podcast interview and his message really resonated with me. He talked about things like good and evil, the archetypes that are present in many popular stories, and most importantly, he wanted to encourage everyone that they have the ability to be a better version of who they are today. That you can be way more than you are and we are all capable of being better. It may take time and it may take work but we can do it! The purpose of this book is to connect myths and beliefs from ancient stories with modern science and theory. It took Peterson 13 years to write and it is hard to digest at times. It is giving me flashbacks of trying to navigate a college textbook where much of the content is a bit over your head! All in all, I am glad I am reading it as it is forcing me to be a better reader as I work my way through the chapters. Quote of the Week "Do what you can, with what you've got, where you are" -- Theodore Roosevelt Chris Fluck
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The world of strength and conditioning is filled with opinions, quick fixes, and ego-centrism. When one sets out to find information regarding the optimal way to train, they are often left with more confusion than clarity. As a result, they become a victim of "paralysis by analysis" and give up. With the health of our nation declining at an alarming rate, it is my hope that this article can provide a little clarity on the importance of training the cardiovascular system and how to implement it into our daily lives.
It has been known for decades that improving lung capacity and maximizing one's ability to utilize oxygen can literally add years onto your life. To put this in perspective, think about how every hospital monitors your pulse ox on the monitors. If your oxygen levels decrease, the potential for negative health effects increase. The inverse of this is also true. As the heart and lungs get more efficient, heart rate decreases, circulation improves, stress goes away, blood pressure is reduced, and disease seems to be held at bay. There are a variety of ways to train the body and I may upset a few meatheads here but jacking steel in the weight room is not enough. We must do things like go for walks, increase your step count, spend more time sleeping, eat better, and lastly, if we want to do all we can to live a long healthy life, we must train the cardiovascular system! You may be asking, how does one best do this? I will outline the types of training below and then describe how to best utilize them with your current training program. There are three distinct ways that we can train the cardiovascular system:
Choose one of the three outlined above and really focus on it for 6-12 weeks. During week one, each workout should feel fairly easy. At the conclusion of the session, you should feel closer to energized than depleted. Each week, add a little distance, push a bit harder, and finish a little sooner. Slow, incremental improvements are our primary focus. Continue to follow this approach for up to 12 weeks. At this point, your body will be pretty adapted to that style of training and results will begin to diminish. When this occurs, it becomes the perfect time to change methods. In addition to the physical benefits of variation, the mental benefits are also apparent. Keeping things fresh mentally allows you to look forward to each session and prevent your training from getting stale. Keep cycling through these methods for an entire year and you will become a new person come December! The great Bill Pearl once wrote that "The human heart doesn't care how it gets elevated, just as long as it gets elevated". What you choose to do is not the important part. The important part is that you do it, and you keep doing it for the rest of your life! Chris Fluck What I've Been Thinking About...
A few weeks ago we were at a party for a four year old and there, we discussed a gym that their daughter went to. This gymnastic facility is nationally known and has a reputation for creating high level gymnasts. Shortly after the conversation, we decided to walk to their house to hang out for a bit and we came across a newsstand. On the front page of the current issue being displayed was an article about said gym and an abuse scandal that stems back for decades. The weird thing about it all is that if you were to go to this gym, it would appear to be business as usual. To make matters even more weird, some of the coaches embroiled in the scandal are still coaching. It is as if no one seems to care. As a parent or coach, I think it is important for us to be advocates for our children. If things do not feel right, we have to be the ones that speak up or speak out. We need to do this in the face of being ostracized by other parents. We need to do this even if threatened to be removed from the program. We need to do this even if we fear our child will "fall behind". There are plenty of organizations who do things the right way and it is on us to seek them out...even if it makes a few people mad! Fitness Tip of the Week Two weeks ago we started our Intro to Strength & Conditioning program and it is off to a great start. We have 12 kids signed up ages 10-12 and we are beginning to teach the fundamentals of training. In week 1, there was a lot of talking and teaching. In week 2, the kids were ready to go. It is amazing how quick the young mind can learn skills and techniques! The bulk of their program is based on lifts that can be deemed the core four: deadlift, squat, overhead press and bench press. These four exercises will be the bulk of the program. The remaining will be on chinups, sprints, rope climbs, sled pushes, medicine ball throws, jumps and whatever else the kids deem fun. This type of format also works incredibly well with the adult population. The goal would be to get as strong as you can in the core four, then do whatever the heck you want with the rest of your time. We have to keep in mind that the stronger we get right now, the stronger we will be when we are 60, 70, 80 and beyond! Once you build strength in the Cour Four, do whatever you want... just don't hurt yourself. This could be kettlebell training, core work or that "Buns and guns" class you have always wanted to try! In a nutshell, this is the 80/20 principle applied to the gym. 80% working on the big lifts, 20% on whatever you want. Having that variability will keep you sane and allow you to try new things! What I've Been Listening To... David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell I read this book nearly a decade ago and I forgot how great it was. While listening, I realized that much of what he writes are thoughts and ideas that I share with others. I stole his ideas, repackaged them as my own, and didn't even remember that they were his! The opening of the book tells the story of David and Goliath and how what appeared to be a disadvantage for David (lack of size, armor, weaponry, etc.) turned out to be an advantage. His skill as a slinger allowed him to strike from a distance where he couldn't be overpowered by the larger Goliath. This book follows Gladwell's habit of tying topics together that most would deem unrelated as he shares stories of war, dyslexia, classroom size, the full court press in basketball, and more. It may be my favorite Gladwell book! Speaking of Books... A friend sent me a text on Friday night asking if I had any good book recommendations. Here is what I sent him...
"Youth is the seed time of good habits, as well in nations as in individuals" -- Thomas Paine I hope you all have an awesome week! Chris Fluck What I've Been Thinking About...
Early this week I had a walk and talk with a friend who works with the NYFD. As we were discussing our thoughts on things, he brought up the idea that human nature looks for "the path of least resistance". I agreed to a point but then I looked at him and said, "You don't". He is the guy who runs INTO the burning building, not away from it. If he chose the easy route, he might be sitting at a desk doing some trivial, meaningless work. But that is not who he is. In my opinion, he had a calling to serve and he answers that every day. Even though it is hard at times, I will not lose hope on human nature and say people always choose the easy route. Unfortunately in some cases, it takes an awful catastrophe to bring people together and serve one another. It happened during WWII during the Blitzkrieg, it happened here in America after 9/11 and now, it is happening in the Ukraine as they defend their country from invasion. The Ukrainians did not choose the easy route. The did not hand down their arms and capitulate to an invader. They chose the hard route and in the end, I hope they are rewarded for their courage with freedom. What I've Been Reading... Common Sense by Thomas Paine This legendary pamphlet was published in 1776. In it, Paine made a persuasive and impassioned plea for the colonies to gain independence from Great Britain. His writings spread through the colonies like wildfire. As George Washington wrote, "I found that Common Sense is working a powerful change there in the minds of many men. Few pamphlets have had so dramatic an effect on political events". According to some historians, this document sparked the American Revolution. One of my favorite quotes is in the opening pages as he writes, "a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it superficial appearance of being right". He knew, hundreds of years ago, that accepting what is the norm as right can lead to problems. In order for progress to occur, customs must be challenged and as let time and reason decide what is truly right and wrong. Fitness Tip of the Week While in California, we met with a friend whose mother recently had a weight loss surgery. She was doing well and is working hard to stay on track but her daughter mentioned that often times, those who suffer from something like food addiction often struggle post-surgery. Sometimes it is with continuing unhealthy food habits, or as is often the case, they replace one addiction with another (alcohol, shopping, excessive dieting, etc.) This led me to think that it is not exercise programs, weight loss surgeries or gadgets that will bring you the satisfaction or peace of mind that we are all searching for. It is working on the self and recalibrating your mind that leads to transforming your life into what you aspire it to be. Growth and transformation require constant attention. It is not easy but what is life without a good challenge? What I've Been Watching... The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 4 Marisa and I have been eagerly awaiting the release of this season. I am always a little worried when a new season of something comes out that it will not live up to your expectations. After watching four episodes, I am no longer worried about that with this show! The humor is great (often times a little dirty), the dialogue is always entertaining and the situations these characters find themselves in are almost unbelievable. It is a great show and would recommend starting at season 1 and getting ready for some laughs! Quote of the Week "Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable" -- Mary Oliver I hope you all have an awesome week! Chris Fluck What I've Been Thinking About...
What keeps you up at night? As I write this, it is 3 am on Thursday morning. I woke up shortly after midnight and since that point, I have not been able to fall back asleep. I tried reading. That did not work. I tried listening to an audiobook, that did not work. I tried laying there focusing on and counting my breathes, and guess what? That did not work. Other than counting sheep, I feel like I have tried everything. The crazy thing about all this is the random thoughts you have while laying awake. There must have been about 900 things that went through my head. Here are a few examples...
Fitness Tip of the Week As I cycle through different cardiovascular training modalities, I am going to be introducing steady state training to the mix. To do so, I will be following coach Phil Maffetone's methods and what he calls Maximum Aerobic Function (MAF). This style of training is designed to utilize our innate ability to burn body fat as a nearly unlimited energy source. The way he recommends you do this is to take 180 and subtract your age from it. This is your maximum heart rate for cardiovascular training (I am 36 so for me, 180-36 = 144. I then subtract 10 from that to give me a range of 134-144). The goal for your workout is to stay within that aerobic zone. Full disclosure, I tried this three times so far and failed every time. I guess there are too many hills around me but my heart rate shot up into the 150s and 160s for most of the 20 minute run. This will take some practice but the overall goal for me will be to increase distance and improve pace while staying in this zone. In doing so, the heart will not be taxed too much which allows for improved recovery, body fat will be eliminated (hopefully), lung capacity will improve, and running technique can be focused on. This last one is important as the slower pace allows for better mechanics which will prevent fatigue induced injury. What I've Been Reading... On the plane ride to California I spent most of the time digging into James Nestor's book Breathe: The New Science of a Lost Art. I don't want to spoil this for anyone but this is a book about breathing. It begins with the author's own health issues associated from poor breathing, and then goes down a long windy road trying to figure out what is going on with modern day humans and our poor breathing patterns. Nestor looks at everything from primitive skull shapes, to the effects of mouth breathing, to ancient texts dating back thousands of years and much more. Some of his experiments and theories even indicate that most of our common health ailments stem from our bodies response to poor breathing. It is written well and a very interesting book. I would recommend this to anyone looking to get a better understanding of breathing and its role it plays in our long term health. What I've Been Watching... On the plane ride home from California I wanted to relax a bit and watch a movie. After scrolling through the selections I came across Judas and the Black Messiah and knew this was the one. The 1960's have grabbed my attention for most of my life. From the musicians like Bob Dylan, Sam Cooke and Otis Redding to civil rights, assassinations, Charles Manson, and more. This decade has to go down as being one of the wildest of all time. This movie builds off of that craziness and tells a story that will potentially blow your mind. Judas and the Black Messiah is about the life of Fred Hampton. This man was a controversial figure and at the age of 21, was the leader of the Black Panther Party. His teachings did not sit well with Hoover and the FBI so they decided to act. How they did so will most likely disgust you and make you wonder how many other stories like this have not been told yet. Quote of the Week "Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others." -- Otto Von Bismarck. What I've Been Thinking About...
My daughter served me a lesson in unintended consequences this week. For those of you who have been to the gym, you most likely know that my daughter is a huge part of it. When I am working out there, she is usually by my side, especially when kids are training. It has a been a positive experience for all of us but then, last weekend, she looked at me and said, "You suck" and then kind of giggled about it and went on to do something else. We tried to get to the bottom of where that language came from and then it clicked: THE GYM! One thing I didn't think about or consider is all the things she is picking up hanging around older kids. As the saying goes, more is caught than taught. These youngsters imitate and mimic certain things or behaviors as they try to sort out the world. In this example, Emi had no idea the context or meaning of these words. She mimicked what she saw someone do previously and then applied it to her life. After talking to her about those words, lets hope this was a once and done thing! Fitness Tip of the Week Next week, we have a warm getaway planned as we plan to visit friends in San Diego. We will be gone for almost a week and these vacations often lead to questions on whether or not you should exercise or just enjoy the time away. I will share my approach leading up to this trip. Since mid-January, my plan was to push hard, heavy and often leading up to our vacation. I almost wanted to get burned out a little so that when we went away, I can forget about it all and enjoy the break. The scientific term for this concept is overcompensation. Push a little further than you normally would then hit the brakes and let the body recover. To some, this idea may be counter intuitive but you will be rewarded down the road. After pushing hard, the mind and body need a break from the rigors of training. So my training advice is this: Follow a tough program leading up to a layoff. Push hard, get sick of the program, and then take off. Eat, walk, play and be merry while on vacation then come home and get back after it! Revolutionary Resolution INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions. No matter where you turn it seems most people are lacking time. They rush from here to there and at the end of the day feel unfulfilled as it seems nothing meaningful was done. The next day, it starts all over again. It is like the old movie Groundhogs Day. Same thing, day after day, week after week, month after month. As I tried to work on this virtue, I took an honest assessment of where I spend my time. I asked myself, "can you cut 15 minutes here, limit television watching, or stack two habits together (ie walking and taking calls on the phone)?" If you can find a few pockets of time each day, 10 minutes here, 10 minutes there, you may be able to free up 30-60 minutes to work on whatever your heart desires. One disclaimer: Remember Franklin's words, "cut off all unnecessary actions". Spending time with those you care about is not an unnecessary action. Don't let this focus on industry effect your personal life and the relationships that are in it. What I've Been Reading... Lethal Passage: The Story of a Gun by Erik Larson Prior to reading this book, I would say I am a fan of this authors writing. I have read four of his eight previously published works and they are all pretty good. (If you care to know which is my favorite, check out Devil in the White CIty!) There is a style in most of his books as he tells two stories side by side. One chapter is story A, the next chapter is story B, and in the end, the two stories get intertwined in a very unique way. In this specific book, he discusses the process of buying guns and becoming a gun dealer. He also tells the story of a troubled youth who brought a gun to school that was once dubbed "the gun that made the eighties roar." In the end, you end up feeling for the kid who obviously needed help and wonder at the ease this kid was able to get a gun and brandish it in school. Quote of the Week "What people believe to be true is often as important as reality" -- W. Eugene Hollon I hope you all have an awesome week! Chris Fluck |
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